


Out in the cold

by cactusoctupus



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: AU, Gen, M/M, Mentions of crime, Orphan Yuri, yuuri adopts yuri fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-26 20:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9920075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cactusoctupus/pseuds/cactusoctupus
Summary: Yuuri was beaten up and left for dead in a car park. The gang stole his car and now Yuuri has no car and a load of medical bills he has to pay. He files a case to the police and in their investigation they manage to find a twelve year old boy who had been at the scene by coincidence. The child is an orphan who refuses to show any cooperation. Yuuri despairs and goes back home but to his exasperation the boy follows him and sets camp in his front yard.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Something that's been sleeping in my folder. Enjoy.

Yuuri was attacked by a gang who also stole his car. They beat him up and robbed him. He stayed in hospital for a month for his injuries and he had to endure extensive and very painful recovery.

Not to mentioned he was running out of money and he had no car. The police were still investigating when he went back to work at the supermarket. After two weeks they called him, saying they found one of the men who attacked him. When he went to the station, he was met with a scrawny little blonde boy.

"How old is he?" asked Yuuri.

The policeman with a receding hairline answered him.

"Twelve."

The boy glared at him across the table. He had green eyes and his redish hoodie had holes around the edge of the hood. His trainers were so worn it looked puffy.

"The men who attacked me were men."

"He was there, we have his prints. He's under investigation right now."

Somehow he didn't think the boy would cooperate.

"So how's that going?"

"It's under investigation"

Yuuri sighed.

"So... do I press charges?"

The policeman shrugged.

"You do whatever you feel like."

 

Yuuri decided not to press charges against the kid. After all he was just a kid. And apparently his social worker was on his way here. That pretty much decided things for Yuuri. In a stroke of random inspiration, he took off his woolly hat and put it on the child's head and walked out of there.

 

He was walking down the street, lamenting on his wasted Sunday afternoon when he felt eyes on him. He turned to see the kid following him. His stupid woolly hat on the boy's head. The boy was glaring at him with that same glare. Yuuri sighed.

"Why are you following me?"

The boy shrugged. The boy just kept staring at him. After not talking for several moments Yuuri turned to walk to his house. Occasionally staring back at the boy, who was still following him.

 

The boy ended up in his front yard. He wondered if the boy would try to come inside his house but he wouldn't cross the lawn.

Yuuri took out his keys, unlocked the door and went into his house. Thinking the boy would leave after he got bored.

 

 

 

After a full day of just eating and watching TV, he turned to go to sleep when he saw the kid still sitting on his lawn. He was just sitting there in the freezing cold.

 

Shaken, Yuuri went outside to see the boy. He turned to him when he opened the front door.

"What are you doing out here?"

The boy looked away.

"Aren't you cold?"

He just shrugged.

Yuuri took a deep breath.

"Do you want to come in?"

The boy didn't respond.

Yuuri went over to the boy and jumped up and down, trying to warm up. He wasn't sure what to do with the kid but he didn't want to call the police.

Yuuri sat down next to him. The boy turned his head a little to look at him.

"What's your name?" asked Yuuri.

"Yuri"

"Really? That's my name too! That's so freaky!"

The boy just stared.

"Do you want to come in? It's cold out here."

Yuri nodded. Yuuri offered his hand and the Yuri took it. His hand was freezing, what was this boy doing out here?

 

Yuuri sat him down on his couch, he took out some blankets and extra pillows and tucked the kid in. Yuri shivered pitifully. He was about to turn away when he felt a cold hand on his wrist.

"I didn't steal your car" he said, his voice was gravelly.

"Oh. I know you didn't."

"I used to steal things but I don't anymore."

"Right. That's good, you shouldn't do that."

Yuri was looking at him, his face tense and vulnerable. He looked like he was expecting something, or wanted to say something.

Yuuri smiled at him.

"The bathroom's over there. Have some sleep."

Yuri let go.

 

The kid was sleeping when he woke up. He started to cook their breakfast, figuring he should feed the kid before he goes back. Yuri woke up while he was cooking and started to stare at him again as he sat at the kitchen table.

"Can I have bacon?" said the kid.

"Sure" he said.

The boy ate like a ravenous dog, dripping food everywhere. Yuuri got up and handed him a napkin. Wiping off juice from a strand of Yuri's long hair that had fallen into the cup. Yuri stared again with that intense look as he did so, making Yuuri uncomfortable.

 

They set out from the house together.

"Where are you going?" Yuuri asked.

Yuri shrugged.

"Don't you go to school?"

He shrugged again.

"Sometimes."

Yuuri sighed, he was going to be late for the bus.

"Go to school!" he called out, running towards the bus stop.

He left with the vision of Yuri staring at him burnt into his irises.

 

 

 

He was stacking in the cereal section when he met him again. The handsome stranger he was mooning over. He had blue eyes, and always looked well groomed. He wore expensive looking clothes and he was so good looking that there were customers who sneaked back to take a second look.

 

Yuuri stared too but panicked when the man looked back at him, smiling. He turned suddenly, pushing boxes of cereal onto the floor. Yuuri hurried to pick them up. The handsome stranger also kneeled down to help him.

"Do you work here? I see you a lot" he said.

Yuuri stared at him. The stranger blushed scratching his hair.

"Of course you work here..."

Yuuri hurriedly looked away, picking up the boxes with vigour.

"Yuuuuuri!!" called Takeshi, his manager.

"I'm coming!" he called.

He sat up and started to stack the boxes.

"Did something happen? I feel like you weren't here for a long time..."

Yuuri looked at him, the stranger looked thoughtful.

"Yeah... it was..."

"Yuuri! Come over here!"

"I have to go..."

Yuuri rushed away.

 

 

 

 

Yuuri stepped out of the bus, a bag of groceries in his hand. Thinking about the exchange he just had with his beautiful stranger.

But he couldn't be interested in him right? The man was just so friendly. So wonderfully nice and friendly... It was impossible, to think he was attracted to someone like him... _impossible impossible impossible impossible..._

Yuuri stopped. The boy was here again, squatting on his front yard.

"Hey" he said.

The kid looked at him.

"Wanna come in? We can have Katsudon."

He stood up and joined him as he unlocked his front door.

"What's Katsudon?"

"I'll show you."

 

Yuuri laid out the ingredients one by one on the kitchen surface and ordered Yuri around like he was his sou-chef. Yuri was serious as he worked it was almost comical with how dedicated he was. Yuuri did the frying by himself but a lot of the prepping was done by Yuri.

"My mom used to make this for me a lot. When I was a kid." said Yuuri.

Yuri watched as Yuuri added the finishing touches to the dish. The smell of fried oil soaked the whole kitchen. Yuri wasn't able to tear his eyes off the thing for even a second.

They sat down to eat and they were silent for a while. The two of them just kept eating.

"This is good"

"Right?" said Yuuri.

Yuri put down his fork and silently stared at his almost empty bowl. There was rice all over his mouth and Yuuri reached out to take them off but halted when Yuri said,

"I saw you in the parking lot. I saw them beat you up and I didn't do anything."

Yuri's hands shook so he put them under the table.

"I'm sorry I'm such a coward."

Yuuri put down his fork.

"Did you call the police?"

"Yes"

"Then you did everything you could. It's okay-"

"It's not okay!"

Yuri had his head down, tears were dripping into his bowl.

"They were killing you and I just watched!" he said, "it's not okay..."

Yuri sobbed, his shoulders shaking. Yuuri stood up and went over to him, hugging the boy to his chest.

"I was scared too. I was so scared I couldn't fight back. So I guess we're both cowards."

Yuri put his arms around him, he felt his small hands dig into his back.

 

 

 

After eating Katsudon, they watched TV and had ice cream.

"Do you like watching movies?"

"Not really. I see too much TV where I live."

"Where do you live?"

Yuri shrugged. Yuuri put down his bowl and sighed.

"Why don't you go to school?"

"I go to school sometimes. But the kids make fun of me so... I'd rather just hang out."

"Hang out?"

"Yeah. I just walk around. Do you know, there's like a lake near the mermaid motel, it's frozen. You could walk on it."

"Don't you think you'll fall and drown? It's almost spring now."

"I can swim, it's okay."

"I wouldn't try that if I were you"

Yuri hummed. He stuck his face in the bowl and licked the bottom, getting his hair dirty again.

"Stop that! I'll get you some more! Geesh!"

 

 

 

When Yuuri met the man in the supermarket the next day again at the shampoo isle, he knew he had to do something. Afterall, even Yuri was able to confess those things to him and he was only a kid. He had to do better.

"Hi" he said.

The stranger looked at him, his face breaking into a bright smile.

"Hey!" he replied.

Yuuri felt his heart jumping in his chest. He was so scared he was frozen. But maybe you had to be out in the cold, just for a while, for the sake of... whatever this was. Maybe it was all worth it.

"Do you... Do you wanna go out sometime?" he said. His shaking hands tight around the price tag dispenser, his face facing the shampoos.

He sneaked a look at the stranger. His smile seemed to have brightened, if that was possible. As though a switch was turned on, making his face glow. The change was so sudden it was almost comical.

"I would love to go out sometime!" said the man. The man rummaged into his coat pockets.

Yuuri felt his stomach let out a million butterflies in one go. He felt electrified.

He swallowed, he couldn't believe he had done that. It had been so embarrassing.

The man handed him a name card. It said 'Victor Nikiforov, Veterinarian.' And it had his phone number on it.

"You're a vet!"

"I am."

Victor stared at him, Yuuri felt a warmth travel from the tip of his toes to the top of his head.

"I'm free this Friday, if you're interested?" said Victor.

Yuuri nodded.

"Friday's good." he said.

That would be in two days, he felt his body shiver with nervous tension.

"Call me okay?" said the man, going away.

"Okay."

 

 

 

He skipped home that night, only to find himself in front of his house, looking for Yuri. Who was not there. And he was so looking forward to talking to him... Maybe even show off about his little act of bravery.

 

Yuuri unlocked his door and went inside his dark, empty house.

 

 

 

He was hoping he would see Yuri in the morning or maybe even in the middle of the night. But the boy wouldn't show up. He had a bad time sleeping and he was so anxious he even considered looking up institutions where kids like Yuri would belong to. But he thought the better of it. Yuri was a free to do whatever he wanted. Yuuri was just a friend. He had no rights. It wasn't like he was Yuri's guardian.

 

Yuuri left for work with a heavy heart.

 

 

He was so busy during work that he hadn't really noticed that it was night time again. Victor hadn't shown up and there was a lot of restocking to do, it had been a tiring and dull day.

 

He kept thinking about Yuri. Where was he? What could he be up to?

 

He was hoping Yuri would be at his house that night but he wasn't. Maybe apologizing was all that the boy had wanted to do. The thought saddened him but then what would Yuuri even have done with the kid? Be his friend? Adopt him? Be his foster parent? Shouldn't he feel relieved and unburdened? After all, everything he did for Yuri was because he pitied him....

 

 

 

After another restless night, he felt that he had to do something. If Yuri didn't show up this time, he was going to go search at the institution. Just to check that he was okay. After he got off his shift of course.

 

He felt a sense of panic as he worked. There was tension underneath his skin that screamed to get out of there. He wanted to run out and call Yuri's name. He needed to see him.

Yuuri pushed the feelings down. He was being irrational and ridiculous. Yuri had been fine until now hadn't he? The kid knew how to look out for himself.

 

 

Yuuri was bursting when he left the supermarket. He rushed to his home in a panicked hurry and despaired when Yuri wasn't there. He felt like he had been kicked in the gut. He couldn't stop thinking about Yuri, who had cried while eating his katsudon. Who had called the police when Yuuri was dying in the parking lot. Who carried the weight of his guilt with his fragile young heart. The kid who sobbed in his kitchen because he couldn't forgive himself.

He couldn't go into his house. Not when Yuri was outside.

Yuuri called the police station.

 

The police gave him the number to Yuri's social worker. The social worker who answered his phone worked in a psychological institution for disturbed children.

"Is Yuri there?"

"No."

"Are you looking for him? When did you see him last time?"

"Look. Yuri is very difficult. He would never settle down in a foster home and he likes to run away. Of course we've tried to track him down. Many times. We can't confine him and when he's sent to school he disappears."

"Do you know where he goes when he goes outside?"

"It's not like we can keep an eye on him twenty four seven. He goes missing and after a while he comes back. It's been like that for years. We can't send out a search party everytime this happens."

"No! You should always look for him! Always!"

He felt angry tears sliding down his face. He felt a wretched sob escape him. What could he do now? He had no car and no one cared.

His phone vibrated. It was Victor. Whom he had completely forgotten about.

"Hello?"

"Yuuri? Are you okay?"

"I don't think I can go out tonight"

"What's wrong? Yuuri, tell me"

There was so much warmth in his voice, it made him cry all over again.

"There's this kid I'm friends with, he's gone missing. And I don't have my car because I was robbed and no one cares about him, no one knows where he is..."

He coughed, his throat felt like it was tearing.

"I'll be there Yuuri, where's your house? Let me help you."

Yuuri told him his address.

"Stay there, don't move. We'll look together."

 

Yuuri told Victor about Yuri, his face messy with tears and snot. Yuuri looked out the window as Victor drove, his eyes panicked.

"I don't even have a picture of him."

"Where do you want to look first?"

"Around the institution. The social worker gave me the address."

Victor reached out and held his hand.

"Calm down. Your hands are cold."

Yuuri took deep breaths.

 

The streets were pitch black already, he couldn't see a thing. He couldn't find Yuuri around the institution even when he had ran outside to look at every single corner, even behind the bins.

He was exhausted but he couldn't stop.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Take me to the supermarket parking lot."

Maybe Yuri was hanging out there again.

 

Victor and Yuuri searched the whole parking lot. Yuri kept mistaking the bags of trash for Yuri and it was making him lose his mind. He sobbed and sank to his knees. Where was he?

Why couldn't he have just ditched work today? He should have known this kind of thing could happen. And what for? For a measly fucking paycheck?

He sobbed out loud, filled with hatred for himself.

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"What if he's dead? What if someone took him? I should have looked sooner I should have..."

"You didn't know this was going to happen. He could have appeared on your doorstep for all you know. He has to be somewhere out here. We just have to keep looking."

Yuuri nodded. Trying to get a grip.

Where could he be? Where could the kid possibly be?

Yuuri clapped his hands together.

"The lake! He talked about a lake!"

"The lake then" said Victor.

 

There were a lot of lakes around the area. They looked with their smart phone maps, Yuuri racking his brain, trying to remember.

"I think he said something about a motel"

"Mermaid motel?"

"That's the one!"

 

They parked the car beside the motel. The lake was behind it, Yuuri faltered. It was so dark there. It was hard to imagine anyone being there in this weather, at this hour.

"Let's go" said Victor.

But as they passed the trees and out into the lake, he understood. The moon was shining down and the ice reflected it right back. The small wooden dock was lit with old street lamps and a small boat was on the ice. Stuck there half submerged.

 

Yuuri saw a dark lump edging towards it.

"Yuri!" he yelled.

He ran forward. Victor followed him underneath the dock and held him back as his foot touched the ice.

"Have him come to you, it's dangerous."

Yuuri ignored him and walked onto the ice. He felt the ice moving as he moved with shaking feet. He could see webs of darkness on the ice where the ice was thinning, like cracked veins.

"Yuuri!" called Victor.

"Yuri!" called Yuuri.

The figure looked back, he could see his hoodie.

"Yuuri? Why are _you_ here?" said Yuri.

"Come back!" said Yuuri, motioning with his hands.

"Come over here!"

Yuri looked entranced.

"See I told you-you could walk here" said Yuri, grinning.

"I know. But it's dangerous because the ice is thin. You have to come back. Can you do that?"

"Okay"

Yuri took about five steps towards him and he suddenly stilled.

"What is it?" said Yuuri.

He heard a squelching, cracking sound then with a splash, Yuri was gone.

"Yuri!!!" he screamed.

"Yuuri! Stay still, I'm going to call the police! Yuuri!"

Yuuri dived.

It felt like he was being stabbed with icy needles in every cell of his body. He felt his fingers touch Yuri's arm and he felt Yuri grab him right back. There was a pull at his feet and he realized that Victor had held onto his foot and was now pulling at him.

 

Yuri was struggling against the cold, against his own panic. The cold shocked Yuuri immobile and all he could do was hold onto his dear life as Victor pulled him. While he did so, Yuri slowly stopped his struggling and waited with him too in their cold dark underneath.

 

Their first breath was sharp and so cold it was cruel. The icy coldness pushed inward. He felt the weight on his arm and he pulled Yuri towards him, taking him out of the water and Yuri also took a sharp breath of air. He struggled onto his feet as he took him around his underarms. Yuri leaned on him, like a block of ice. Yuuri fell on top of Victor and the three of them panted on the ice.

 

 

 

Yuuri was still shaking when he held Yuri in Victor's car. Warmth seeped into them like trickles of rain. Melting them piece by piece.

"I can't believe you did this. That was unbelievably dumb!" fumed Yuuri. Yuri pouted. 

"Yuri why did you go to the lake?" asked Yuuri. 

Yuri sat there shaking, tiny in his arms.

"There wasn't anywhere else I could be" he said.

Yuuri held his frozen hand.

"Then be with me" he said, "you can always be with me."

And like that, Yuri cracked. Yuuri saw tears sliding down his cheeks.

"But I left you for dead" he said.

"It's okay I forgive you" said Yuuri, " besides, It's the adults who protect the kids, not the other way around."

Yuuri continued to hold him as more tears fell. 

 

 

Yuuri couldn't convince Yuri to take a shower. He stubbornly sat on the couch, drinking his soup and then fell asleep. So Victor and Yuuri had to unclothe him while he was unconscious. So he wouldn't die of pneumonia or go into shock or something. They wrapped the blanket around him and Yuuri turned the thermostat up.

 

"Thanks for being here today" said Yuuri to Victor in the kitchen. Watching Yuri sleep.

"It's fine, it was a good date" said Victor.

"A date?" said Yuuri.

"Why? It doesn't count?"

Yuuri smiled, "it counts."

Victor pulled out money from his pocket and put it on the kitchen surface. Yuuri grabbed it and pushed it back towards him.

"Don't do that" he said.

"It's okay, I was going to pay for dinner anyway."

"That's one fancy dinner."

"You were off for a month. And you have your hospital bills and now you have a kid."

He pushed the money back to him.

"Buy him something nice. Preferably clothes."

Yuuri smiled and nodded. Victor leaned down, his hand on his chin and brushed his lips against his.

"You can pay me back later anyway" said Victor.

Yuuri's face felt warm.

"Okay."

 

 

 

Yuuri took Yuri shopping in a department store out of town.

"Why do you only wear this?" said Yuuri pointing to Yuri's red hoody and faded jeans.

"I like them. I don't like the other clothes" he said.

"Well. Today you can choose whatever you like."

"Whatever I like?"

"Yeah. That way you can go to school and the kids won't tease you so much, right?"

Yuri blushed, "yeah."

They entered the kids' section, there were many selections. Yuri went for bold colours and leopard prints. He also seemed to really like the black shirt with a tiger's face on it. It was cute, the things Yuri thought were cool.

They weren't cheap but it was manageable. When they were at the cashier's, Yuri frowned. He looked down.

"What is it, Yuri?"

Yuri shook his head.

Yuri dressed into the new clothes immediately and threw away the old ones.

 

They went to the food section afterwards. They bought noodles so they could cook Japanese Ramen. They even bought little fishcakes with pink swirls on it. Yuri liked them because they reminded of his favorite cartoon, Naruto. Yuri talked about it enthusiastically, talking about how Naruto was an orphan, just like him. Who had an old man who liked him and watched over him. How Naruto was always getting into trouble but that didn't make him less of a hero.

 

Yuuri still had no car so they had to travel by bus.

"Don't swing the bags" said Yuuri, "we have eggs."

Yuri nodded, his eyes fierce with resolve.

 

They talked all the way in the bus. They talked about Yuri's parents, the reason they put him in foster care. His grandpa who was ill but did his best. His grandpa was the only person who loved him. He was lucky to have at least one person. They talked about Yuuri's parents. How much he missed home. About his career as a figure skater that went downhill slowly then died. And how in the end, he had nothing but a fresh start.

 

And they talked most about the beating, about the gang that stole his car. About being alone and afraid and having no one to talk to. About not having the courage to find direction or love. Until that is, you are on the brink of death.

 

Yuri had a sombre expression on his face when they got off the bus. He was silent as Yuuri swung their held hands up and down. Yuuri simply looked and waited as Yuri sorted himself out.

"Is this..." Yuri breathed, his chest visibly going up and down.

"Is this forever?" asked Yuri, facing up to him.

Yuuri blinked.

"Of course it's forever Yuri." Yuuri drew their joined hands up.

"We're forever." he said.

"We're forever" Yuri repeated.

Yuuri grinned, starting to skip. Yuri dragged behind.

"Don't shake the bag!" said Yuri.

"Who cares about the bag!" said Yuuri. Yuuri kept skipping. Yuri awkwardly tagged behind then started to skip too. A reluctant grin on his face.

 

And they both skipped towards their home. Their faces bright with their smiles, their plastic bags swinging like crazy.

 

 

 


End file.
